Villa team news: Georginio and Webster out

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Albion return to Premier League action on Wednesday night.

Charlie Hanson

2025-04-01T10:10+01:00

Adam Webster has made 11 Premier League appearances this campaign. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion take on Aston Villa at the Amex on Wednesday night as both teams look to strengthen their grip on a European spot.

A full midweek Premier League schedule is taking place, with the possibility for Albion to head into the weekend as high as fourth with a victory. Villa on the other hand could move up to fifth with a win.

Team news

Adam Webster has made 11 Premier League appearances this campaign. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Georginio Rutter and Adam Webster both picked up injuries in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Nottingham Forest and Fabian Hurzeler doesn't see either being available anytime soon.

"Both injuries I can say don't look great. We have to add them on our injury list. Georginio has an ankle injury and Adam has a muscle injury. It's possible [that they will be out for the season]."

On Ferdi Kadioglu, "The light [at the end of the tunnel] doesn't get lighter, the light is still the same."

On Solly March and Mats Wieffer, "They could be an option."

Fabian's thoughts

On injuries presenting opportunity, "We see more an opportunity and a chance because we always were able to replace the players who were injured. It's another chance for Brajan Gruda, another chance for Matt O’Riley, another chance for Eiran Cashin. Lewis Dunk is coming back. So I see it more as an opportunity.

"I will never complain about the injuries. Georgi and Adam were in a great shape, but that's football. We have to deal with it. We have had to deal with the injuries this season. We are always a team who were able to replace the injured players and now other players have the chance to step in.

"That's why I'm really looking forward to it – the players who have the possibility now and the chance to start the game or to replace the injured players. They can show their potential and therefore we try to help them, that they can get integrated as quickly as possible."

On Aston Villa, "It's a duel where we know that it will be a big fight. We know what Villa look like – a very mature team, very experienced team. They want to get into Europe [through the Premier League].

"They're still in three competitions and going for a title. I think they have had a great season and it's another chance for us, another opportunity. We have to play very maturely. We have to play with a big intensity. We can't play soft like we played in some moments against Nottingham Forest.

"We have to be more ruthless and that's what we have to improve in comparison with the game before. Then I'm sure that we have a big chance tomorrow."

Match facts

Brighton have won just one of their five Premier League home games against Aston Villa (D2 L2), though it did come in this exact fixture last season (1-0 in May).

After winning five consecutive Premier League games against Brighton between November 2021 and September 2023, Aston Villa are now winless in their last two against them (D1 L1).

Brighton have won each of their last three Premier League games at the Amex Stadium, and are looking to win four home matches in a row for the very first time in the top-flight.

Aston Villa have won two of their last three league games (L1), as many as their previous nine beforehand (W2 D5 L2), while the Villans are looking to win back-to-back away games in the Premier League for the first time since winning their first two such outings of this season.

Brighton have scored at least two goals in each of their last five Premier League games; never before in their top-flight history have they done so in six successive matches, last scoring twice in more league games in a row in any division in April 2016 in the Championship (7).

Aston Villa and Brighton have each both scored and conceded in 20 of their 29 Premier League games this season, with only Fulham’s games seeing both teams score more often in the division this campaign (21).

Excluding penalties, no side has scored more goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season than Aston Villa (13), although only Brentford (3) and Manchester City (5) have conceded fewer goals from set plays in the competition this term than Brighton (6).

Brighton duo Jan Paul van Hecke and Kaoru Mitoma have progressed the ball upfield with their carries the most of any players in the Premier League this season (4,256m for van Hecke, 3,235m for Mitoma).

Ollie Watkins has scored 13 Premier League goals this season, with 11 of them either equalising (6) or giving Aston Villa the lead in a match (5). Only Mo Salah (14), Erling Haaland (14), and Alexander Isak (12) have more equalising and lead-taking goals combined in the competition in 2024-25.

Brighton’s João Pedro has more goal involvements against Aston Villa (4 – 1 goal, 3 assists) than any other opponent in the Premier League. The Brazilian has scored in both of his last two home league games (both penalties); the only players to score in 3+ successive home appearances in the Premier League for the Seagulls are Glenn Murray (twice in 2018), Pascal Groß (Aug 2018), Neal Maupay (Oct 2019), and Danny Welbeck (Oct 2024).

Match officials

Referee: Stuart Attwell. Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Mark Scholes. Fourth official: Simon Hooper. VAR: Matt Donohue. Assistant VAR: Neil Davies.